Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Medium Chain Fatty Acids As An Alternative To Chlortetracycline In Nursery Pig Diets, R. A. Cochrane, J. R. Pluske, J. P. Mansfield, S. S. Dritz, J. C. Woodworth, M. D. Tokach, M. C. Niederwerder, C. B. Paulk, C. K. Jones

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

An experiment was conducted to evaluate medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) as a potential alternative to chlortetracycline (CTC) in nursery pigs. One hundred entire male pigs (initially 14.1 ± 1.6 lb body weight (BW) and weaned at 22 d of age) were used in a 29-d disease challenge study. Pigs were allowed 5 acclimation days after weaning, followed by 2 d of disease challenge with Enterotoxigenic β-hemolyticEscherichia coli(ETEC), serotype O149:K91: K88. After the challenge, pigs were allotted to a diet with 1 of 5 treatments: 1) control with no additives; 2) 400 g/ton CTC (Chlortet 200G, Eco Animal …

Effects Of Dietary Total Calcium To Total Phosphorus Ratio On Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Bone Mineralization, And Economics In 58- To 281-Lb Pigs, C. M. Vier, S. S. Dritz, M. D. Tokach, M. A. Gonçalves, U. A. Orlando, J. R. Bergstrom, J. C. Woodworth, R. D. Goodband, J. M. Derouchey

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 1,134 barrows and gilts (PIC; 359 × Camborough) with an initial pen average body weight (BW) of 58.0 ± 1.57 lb were used in a 110-d growth trial to determine the effects of feeding different analyzed total calcium to phosphorus (Ca:P) ratios on performance of growing-finishing pigs from 58 to 281 lb. Pens of pigs were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with BW as a blocking factor. There were 7 replicate pens per treatment and 27 pigs per pen. The experimental diets were corn-soybean meal-based, and were fed …

Comprehensive Control Of Sericea Lespedeza With Four Consecutive Years Of Prescribed Fire During Summer, J. A. Alexander, W. H. Fick, J. Lemmon, G. A. Gatson, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of annual prescribed burning applied during the growing season on vigor of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) infesting native tallgrass range.

Study Description:We burned nine fire-management units (14 ± 6 acres) at one of three prescribed-burning times: early spring (April 1), mid-summer (August 1), or late summer (September 1). Effects on sericea lespedeza were evaluated annually on July 10, October 10, and November 1.

The Bottom Line:Compared to traditional spring, dormant-season burning, burning during the summer months over four consecutive years resulted in …

Wet Distiller’S Grains And Wet Corn Gluten With Dry-Rolled Or Whole-Shelled Corn In High-Energy Limit-Fed Diets Do Not Affect Growing Cattle Performance, T. J. Spore, S. P. Montgomery, E. C. Titgemeyer, G. A. Hanzlicek, Christopher Vahl, T. G. Nagaraja, W. R. Hollenbeck, R. N. Wahl, Dale Blasi

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:Compare wet distiller’s grains plus solubles and wet corn gluten feed with dry-rolled or whole-shelled corn in a novel programmed-feeding strategy being developed at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit.

Description:A total of 320 crossbred steers were used to determine the effects of two corn by-products and methods of corn processing, utilizing a high-energy limit-fed feeding strategy.

The Bottom Line:Kansas producers have the option of feeding corn by-product and whether or not to process corn in a high-energy limit-fed feeding strategy without the risk of negatively affecting performance.

Using Modified Intensive Early Stocking For Grazing Replacement Heifers, K. R. Harmoney, J. R. Jaeger

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Even though Kansas native rangelands often have steep slopes or shallow soils not conducive to many other uses other than livestock grazing, native rangeland and peren­nial grassland acres in Kansas have been declining. Cropland acreage over this same time frame has increased, and so has rangeland fragmentation into small ranchettes and urbanization. Producers may be looking to increase production efficiency on a shrink­ing forage land base. The use of intensive early stocking (IES) is one the most efficient stocking strategies to produce beef on rangeland acres. The IES strategy has been widely used in eastern Kansas and is capable of …

Late Summer Prescribed Fire And Fall Herbicide Application Show Strong Suppressive Effects On Sericea Lespedeza Frequency And Vigor, G. A. Gatson, W. H. Fick, W. W. Hsu, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a one-time application of late summer prescribed fire followed by fall herbicide application for substantially reducing sericea lespedeza frequency and vigor.

Study Description:A single 80-acre native tallgrass pasture was divided into 16 units. Each of these units was either burned in early September (burn only), sprayed with Escort XP (DuPont, Wilmington, DE) in late September (spray only), burned in early September and subsequently sprayed in late September (burn + spray), or neither burned nor sprayed (control). Sericea lespedeza frequency and vigor was measured shortly before …

Sericea Lespedeza Control Strategies Differ In Their Impacts On Overall Range Health And Native Plant Species Composition, G. A. Gatson, W. H. Fick, W. W. Hsu, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) control strategies of late summer prescribed burning and fall her­bicide application on soil cover, native plant populations, and biological diversity.

Study Description:We established 16 individual units within an 80-acre native tallgrass pasture. Each unit was assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: control, spray only, burn only, or burn-plus-spray. Burn only and burn-plus-spray units were burned in early September. Spray only and burn-plus-spray units were sprayed with metsulfuron methyl (Escort XP, DuPont, Wilmington, DE) in late September. The change in …

Restricting Intake And Increasing Energy Improves Efficiency In Newly Received Growing Cattle And Zelnate Has No Effect, T. Spore, S. P. Montgomery, E. Titgemeyer, G. A. Hanzlicek, Christopher Vahl, T. G. Nagaraja, W. R. Hollenbeck, R. N. Wahl, Dale Blasi

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objectives:Study effects of two limit-fed diets formulated to provide two levels of dietary energy and offered at two different intake rates to target similar gains and analyze the efficacy of a novel DNA-immunostimulant administered on arrival.

Study Description:A 56-day pen study was conducted utilizing 370 Angus × Brahman heifers shipped from Florida (1,455 mi) to study the effects of limit-feeding at 2 intakes based on prior research conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit, Manhattan, KS, to achieve similar gains and effects of Zelnate under the dietary conditions.

The Bottom Line:Limit-feeding a …

Feet And Leg Traits Are Moderately To Lowly Heritable In Red Angus Cattle, L. K. Giess, B. R. Jensen, R. L. Weaber, J. M. Bormann, W. A. Fiske

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The goals of this study were to identify feet and leg indicator traits to be used in beef breed genetic evaluations and develop a scoring method that can be easily adopted by cattle producers.

Description:Data were analyzed on 1,885 Red Angus cattle, and after editing, 1,720 records were used for analysis. Feet and leg phenotypes were obtained from August 2015 through September 2017 for 14 traits shown in the following table. Trained livestock evaluators collected measurements using an electronic tablet with offline data storage capabilities. Heritability estimates for all 14 traits were calculated from two different …

Bio-Economic Model Predicts Economic Values For Beef Production, W. S. Leal, R. F. Costa, L. L. Cardoso, F. S. Mendonça, F. F. Cardoso, M. J. Yokoo, R. L. Weaber

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective was to estimate economic values for production traits in a full life cycle system using a bio-economic model with Angus purebred and a terminal crossbreeding system with Nelore sires mated to Angus dams.

Study Description:Phenotypic performance data were collected from the Bifequali crossbreeding scheme at the Embrapa Pecuária Sul Research Center of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. The data consisted of performance and carcass traits measured on progeny of Angus purebred and Nelore sires mated to Angus dams raised in a pasture-based production system from birth to slaughter (full life cycle). The economic characterization …

Trends In Source And Age Verification For Beef Calves Sold Via Summer Video Auction From 2010 Through 2017, E. D. Mccabe, M. E. King, K. E. Fike, K. L. Hill, G. M. Rogers, K. G. Odde

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of source and age verification status on the sale price of beef calf lots sold via summer video auctions from 2010 through 2017 while adjusting for all other factors that significantly influenced sale price.

Study Description:Information describing factors about lots sold through a livestock video auction service (Superior Livestock Auction, Fort Worth, TX) was obtained from the auction service in an electronic format. These data were collected for 36,570 lots of beef calves that were sold via 61 summer sales from 2010 through 2017. A model …

Trends In Beef Calf Lots By Single Breed Sire Groups Marketed Via Video Auction From 2010 Through July 14, 2017, E. D. Mccabe, M. E. King, K. E. Fike, K. L. Hill, G. M. Rogers, K. G. Odde

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective was to characterize the potential change in the percentage of lots of beef calves sired by a single breed marketed via video auction from 2010 through July 14, 2017.

Study Description:Information describing factors about lots sold through a livestock video auction service (Superior Livestock Auction, Fort Worth, TX) was obtained in electronic format. Sire breed of a lot was determined based on the description provided by sellers. All calves in a lot were sired by a single breed and a minimum of 50 lots were required for the analysis. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was …

Naive Yearling Steers Consume Little Sericea Lespedeza In The Kansas Flint Hills, C. A. Sowers, J. D. Wolf, W. H. Fick, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to characterize diets selected by steers grazing sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)-infested native tallgrass pastures.

Study Description:The experiment was conducted on eight native tallgrass pastures located in Woodson County, KS, at the Kansas State University Bessner Range Research Unit during the 2015 and 2016 growing season. Pastures were burned annually in April and stocked with yearling steers (n = 281/year; initial body weight = 582 ± 75 lb) at a relatively high stocking rate (2.7 acres/steer) from April 15 to July 15. Basal frequency of sericea lespedeza was 2.9 …

Total Tract Dry Matter Digestibility And Proportions Of Ruminal Propionate Are Increased In High-Energy Limit-Fed Diets Based Primarily On Wet Corn Gluten Feed, T. J. Spore, S. P. Montgomery, E. C. Titgemeyer, G. A. Hanzlicek, Christopher Vahl, T. G. Nagaraja, K. T. Cavalli, W. R. Hollenbeck, R. N. Wahl, Dale Blasi

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objectives:Study digestion and characteristics of digestion of high-energy limit-fed diets based primarily on wet corn gluten feed.

Study Description:Six ruminally-cannulated Jersey crossbred steers were used to measure total tract diet digestibility, passage rate, volatile fatty acid, and ammonia production, and ruminal pH when limit-feeding high-energy diets based primarily on wet corn gluten feed.

The Bottom Line:High-energy limit-fed diets based primarily on wet corn gluten feed are 15% more digestible and produce a higher concentration of energy yielding volatile fatty acid compared to low-energy full-fed diets without apparent disruptions in ruminal fermentation or health.

Syngenta Enhanced Feed Corn (Enogen) Containing An Alpha Amylase Expression Trait Improves Feed Efficiency In Growing Calf Diets, M. A. Johnson, T. J. Spore, S. P. Montgomery, C. S. Weibert, J. S. Garzon, W. R. Hollenbeck, R. N. Wahl, E. D. Watson, Dale Blasi

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:To determine the response of growing calves when fed Enogen Feed (Syngenta) corn, containing an alpha amylase expression trait.

Description:A total of 384 English crossbred steers having an average weight of 538 lb and originating from Texas were used to determine the effects on performance when fed Enogen Feed corn as either whole shelled or processed as dry-rolled at ad libitum intake.

The Bottom Line:When fed in an ad libitum fashion to growing calves, Enogen Feed corn improves feed efficiency of growing calves by 5.50%.

Leucine Supplementation Did Not Improve Protein Deposition Or Lysine Utilization In Growing Steers, K. A. Pearl, H. F. Speer, M. D. Miesner, E. C. Titgemeyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:This study was conducted to determine if leucine supplementation could improve protein deposition and lysine utilization in growing steers.

Study Description:Ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (380 lb) were provided treatments of postruminal infusions of 0 or 0.212 oz/day of lysine, and 0, 0.529, or 1.058 oz/day of leucine, with all 6 combinations tested. Ruminal infusions of volatile fatty acids and abomasal infusions of glucose provided energy, and all essential amino acids, except lysine, were infused abomasally to make lysine the sole limiting amino acid. Urine and fecal collections were used to measure nitrogen retention (protein deposition).

The …

Effects Of Early Or Conventional Weaning On Beef Cow And Calf Performance In Pasture And Drylot Environments, G. W. Preedy, J. R. Jaeger, J. W. Waggoner, K C. Olson, K. R. Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

During widespread drought, pasture availability and productivity are reduced. This, coupled with increasing land prices and lease rates, has prompted the evaluation of al­ternative management strategies that decrease grazing pressure on perennial pasture or reduce feed and pasture costs. Weaning early and moving cows from pasture to a drylot environment is used commonly for reducing grazing pressure on perennial pastures. A premature end to lactation reduces cow nutrient requirements and reduces grazing pressure. Removal of the calf further reduces grazing pressure, as calves are significant consumers of forage dry matter (DM) during mid and late lactation. The combina­tion can be …

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Increased Pregnancy In Suckled Beef Cows Not Detected In Estrus And Subjected To A Split-Time Artificial Insemination Program, S. L. Hill, D. M. Grieger, K C. Olson, J. R. Jaeger, K. R. Harmoney, C. R. Dahlen, M. R. Crosswhite, N. Negrin Pereira, S. R. Underdahl, B. W. Neville, J. Ahola, M. C. Fischer, G E. Seidel, J. Stevenson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Estrus-synchronization programs allow insemination of all females in a herd at one fixed time on the first day of the breeding season. Inseminating cows after they have expressed estrus increases pregnancy rate (PR) compared with cows that do not display estrus in a timed AI (TAI) program. Identification of estrus status can be facilitated by using estrus-detection patches. Varying AI timing according to estrus status has increased PR in some previous studies. Reducing the number of injections in a TAI program decreases labor requirements, stress on cows, and overall cost of the program. Previous studies have demonstrated that PR is …

Can Modified Intensive Early Stocking Be Used In Cow/Calf Production?, K. R. Harmoney, J. R. Jaeger

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Intensive early stocking (IES) was introduced nearly a half century ago in eastern Kansas and has since been adopted as a major management tool to increase animal production, efficiency of production, and economic return on tallgrass rangelands. These increases have come almost exclusively by using IES with young stocker animals. Intensive early stocking and its gains have been proven effective repeatedly in published research. A similar modified IES (MIES) system has increased production efficiency of stocker animals on western Kansas rangelands. Perennial grassland acres for cattle production, as well as cattle numbers, are declining. Using management practices that mimic a …

Agricultural Research Center-Hays, Roundup

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Roundup is the major beef cattle education and outreach event sponsored by the Agricultural Research Center–Hays. The 2018 program is the 104th staging of Roundup. The purpose is to communicate timely, applicable research information to producers and extension personnel.

The research program of the Agricultural Research Center–Hays is dedicated to serving the people of Kansas by developing new knowledge and technology to stabilize and sustain long-term production of food and fiber in a manner consistent with conservation of natural resources, protection of the environment, and assurance of food safety. Primary emphasis is on production efficiency through optimization of inputs in …

Effects Of Various Grazing Systems On Grazing And Subsequent Finishing Performance, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

MaxQ tall fescue, a wheat-bermudagrass double-crop system, and a wheat-crabgrass double-crop system have been three of the most promising grazing systems evaluated at the Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural Research Center in the past 20 years, but these systems have never been compared directly in the same study. The objective of this study was to compare grazing and subsequent finishing performance of stocker steers that grazed these three systems.

Effects Of Interseeding Ladino Clover Into Tall Fescue Pastures Of Varying Endophyte Status On Grazing Performance Of Stocker Steers, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Tall fescue, the most widely adapted cool-season perennial grass in the United States, is grown on approximately 66 million acres. Although tall fescue is well adapted in the eastern half of the country between the temperate north and mild south, presence of a fungal endophyte results in poor performance of grazing livestock, especially during the summer. Until recently, producers with high-endophyte tall fescue pastures had two primary options for improving grazing livestock performance. One option was to destroy existing stands and replace them with endophyte-free fescue or other forages. Although it supports greater animal performance than endophyte-infected fescue, endophyte-free fescue …

Effects Of Supplementation With Corn Or Dried Distillers Grains On Gains Of Heifer Calves Grazing Smooth Bromegrass Pastures, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Distillers grains, a by-product of the ethanol industry, have tremendous potential as an economical and nutritious supplement for grazing cattle. Distillers grains contain a high concentration of protein (25 to 30%), with more than two-thirds escaping degradation in the rumen, which makes it an excellent supplement for younger cattle. Recent advancements in the ethanol manufacturing process have resulted in extraction of a greater amount of fat; therefore, creating distillers grains that may contain less energy than corn. This research was conducted to compare performance of stocker cattle supplemented with corn or DDG at 0.5% body weight per head daily while …

Evaluation Of Supplemental Energy Source For Grazing Stocker Cattle, L. W. Lomas, J. K. Farney, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Supplementation of grazing cattle is most economically feasible when cattle prices are high relative to the price of grain. Energy supplementation of grazing ruminants may reduce forage intake and digestibility, but energy supplementation at low levels (less than 0.4% bodyweight) has been shown to have little effect on forage intake when crude protein was not limiting. Several studies have evaluated the effect of supplementation on stocker cattle gains and forage utilization during the grazing phase, but few have evaluated the effects of supplementation during the grazing phase on subsequent finishing performance and carcass traits. This research seeks to obtain a …

Including Legumes In Bermudagrass Pastures, J. L. Moyer, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Bermudagrass is a productive forage species when intensively managed. However, it has periods of dormancy and requires proper management to maintain forage quality. Legumes in the bermudagrass sward could improve forage quality and reduce fertilizer usage; however, legumes are difficult to establish and maintain with the competitive grass. Clovers can maintain survival once established in bermudagrass sod and may be productive enough to substitute for some N fertilization. This study was designed to compare dry cow performance on a bermudagrass pasture system that included ladino and crimson clovers (Legume) vs. bermudagrass alone (Nitrogen).

Effects Of Increasing Standardized Ileal Digestible Lysine During Gestation On Growth And Reproductive Performance Of Gilts And Sows Under Commercial Conditions, L. L. Thomas, L. K. Herd, R. D. Goodband, S. S. Dritz, M. D. Tokach, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, M A. Gonçalves, D. B. Jones

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A study was conducted on a commercial sow farm to evaluate the effects of increasing dietary standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine (Lys) intake in gestation on sow performance and piglet birth weight. A total of 936 females (498 gilts, 438 sows; Camborough, PIC, Hendersonville, TN) were group-housed (approximately 275 females per pen) and individually fed with electronic sow feeders (ESF). Scales were located in the alleyway after the feeding stations returning into the pen. Females were moved from the breeding stall to pens on d 4 of gestation and were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments on d 5. …

The Effects Of Maternal Dietary Supplementation Of Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) And 25(Oh)D3 On Sow And Progeny Performance, M. T. Thayer, J. L. Nelssen, A. J. Langemeier, J. Morton, J. M. Gonzales, S. R. Kruger, Z. Ou, A. J. Makowski, J. R. Bergstrom

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 69 sows (DNA Line 200 × 400) and their progeny were used to determine if feeding a combination of vitamin D₃(Rovimix D₃, 500,000 IU/g; DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) and 25(OH)D₃(Hy-D, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) influences neonatal and sow vitamin D3 status, muscle fiber morphometrics and development of the piglets, and subsequent growth performance to market. Within 3 days of breeding, sows were allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments fortified with 680 IU/lb vitamin D₃(CON), 227 IU/lb vitamin D₃+ 11.3 μg/lb 25(OH)D₃(DL), or …

Stability Of Four Commercial Microbial Phytase Sources Under Increasing Conditioning Temperatures And Conditioner Retention Times During Pelleting, C. N. Truelock, A. D. Yoder, C. E. Evans, C. R. Stark, S. S. Dritz, J. W. Wilson, N. E. Ward, C. B. Paulk

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of conditioning temperature and retention time on the stability of 4 commercially available microbial phytases in a corn soybean meal diet. Treatments were arranged in a 4 × 3 × 2 factorial of phytase source (A, B, C, and D), conditioning temperature (180, 190, and 200°F), and conditioner retention time (30 and 60 s). Diets were formulated to release 0.15% phosphorus. A total of 5 mash samples from each treatment were analyzed for phytase. Diets were pelleted via steam conditioning (10 × 55 in. Wenger twin staff pre-conditioner, Model 150) using a …

Effects Of The Age Of Newborn Pigs Receiving An Iron Injection On Suckling And Subsequent Nursery Performance And Blood Criteria, H. Williams, C. D. Roubicek, J. M. Derouchey, J. C. Woodworth, S. S. Dritz, M. D. Tokach, R. D. Goodband, A. Holtcamp

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 324 newborn pigs (DNA 241 × 600, initially 3.56 ± 0.10 lb body weight (BW)) were used in a 80-d study evaluating the effects of Fe injection timing after birth on suckling and subsequent nursery pig performance and blood criteria. GleptoForte (Ceva Animal Health, LLC., Lenexa, KS) contains gleptoferron, which is an Fe macromolecule complex that is used as an injectable Fe source for suckling piglets. A total of 27 litters were used with the number of pigs per sow equalized on each day of farrowing. Two d after birth, all piglets were weighed, and six barrows …

Effects Of Feeding Increasing Levels Of Iron From Iron Sulfate Or Iron Carbonate On Nursery Pig Growth Performance And Blood Criteria, H. E. Williams, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, S. S. Dritz, M. D. Tokach, R. D. Goodband, J. Usry

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 140 weanling pigs (DNA 241 × 600, initially 12.2 ± 0.02 lb) were used in a 32-d study evaluating the effects of increasing dietary iron from either iron sulfate (FeSO₄) or a micronized, agglomerated ferrous carbonate (FeCO₃) on nursery pig growth performance and blood criteria. The micronized form of FeCO₃is designed to improve nursery pig growth performance and blood iron status. Pigs used for this trial did not receive an iron injection after birth in order to increase sensitivity to added dietary iron. Pigs were weaned at approximately 21 d and …